Local artist Jackie Partridge has created five free landscape painting tutorials anyone can follow along to from their home via her YouTube page. It’s a way to help people who are just starting out in the art form, which has seen something of a boom as people have been stuck at home throughout the pandemic.
All of the scenic paintings are places found around Waterloo Region, the countryside, for instance, being the subject of the sunset on the farm field tutorial.
“I live in Wellesley and a lot of the landscapes are kind of around that area just from driving. I work at a school in Kitchener, and so a lot of the landscapes are kind of on my drive to work or around the area,” noted Partridge about her choice of imagery.
After receiving a grant from the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, Partridge was able to buy supplies and coordinate the video tutorial creations that the public can use whenever they wish. This virtual activity is great for anyone looking to get artsy at home by themselves or with others for a fun group paint.
The original paintings now hang in the Ayr branch of the Region of Waterloo Library – Partridge donated them so the community could view them in-person.
“I just like capturing the beauty of our area. I think we’re really kind of privileged to be around such great farmland and skies – they’re just always changing and evolving.”
Partridge has been painting for more than 15 years and regularly posts painting tutorials online.
“My YouTube channel, I make different painting tutorials every month. So that’s on the go. I have an exhibition, it’s a juried show at Cambridge Art Galleries that’s for emerging artists. I’m always looking for new opportunities. I’m just really grateful for the Region of Waterloo Art Fund, for their grants and just being able to support young emerging artists like myself.”
Partridge will also be hosting a virtual painting workshop in March for the Region of Waterloo Library.
The current series of acrylic painting tutorials of Waterloo Region landscapes include a ‘Canoe the Grand’ painting, a corn field at sunset, a hydro pole in a field, a farm field at sunset and a morning sunrise with cloudy skies.
“They’re really great for beginner painters or people who are a little bit more experienced so they can learn colour mixing. Just the basics: how to paint a perspective. I walk people through the steps of how to paint the different photos that I took from around the region,” said Partridge about who the painting tutorials are geared towards.
In the past Partridge has taught painting classes or workshops in person but had to pivot digitally like many other artists during the pandemic.
“I think it’s always a really hard change with virtual learning and virtual programming. That’s kind of why I started a YouTube channel as well. I was just teaching art workshops at different galleries or more in-person events, so it’s definitely different, but I think it’s really important that people still have an opportunity to do art and be creative.”
